If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Shiner Cheer, courtsey bp. At first, I'll admit to not really liking it. It's a bit fruity, and the peach stands out some. But as it warms a bit, the flavors meld and the pecan balances out the fruit. It's a damn good beer, if I do say so myself. Thanks, Billy.

.

Glad you like it. I was a little worried you might be all "WTF did this hick from Texas send me", so a damn good beer rating is nice. It is a bit sweeter this year, not sure if more peaches were used, but I do like it warmed up as well.

Production has ended, so the last three twelve packs I grabbed may be all I buy for the year. With one each going to SD, NoCo, and NY, it looks like the sixer in the outdoor fridge will have to last. . Honestly, I just dig the box so much it is nice to send it as a present.

I thought people were going to help me drink the bottle. Head really hurt this morning...

We went to the game yesterday, too. (First time in years for either of us.) I was shocked to see that a little thing of Sam Adams was $9.75, Bud Light was $8.75 for a bottle, and bottled water was $5.25. We didn't even see Stone anywhere...

Comment

We went to the game yesterday, too. (First time in years for either of us.) I was shocked to see that a little thing of Sam Adams was $9.75, Bud Light was $8.75 for a bottle, and bottled water was $5.25. We didn't even see Stone anywhere...

Yeah I've got season tickets and there's a beer stand near the Dryer's Ice Cream on the Plaza level that has decent beer for $9.75. There's another that had Lagunitas IPA. Yesterday was the most beer I've purchased at the Stadium in a couple years. Or should I say was purchased for me!

Comment

Yeah I've got season tickets and there's a beer stand near the Dryer's Ice Cream on the Plaza level that has decent beer for $9.75. There's another that had Lagunitas IPA. Yesterday was the most beer I've purchased at the Stadium in a couple years. Or should I say was purchased for me!

Elitist. We were in the upper deck.

We did, however, have a woman running up and down the aisle with a tub of red vines, handing them out every time that the Chargers scored a touchdown.

Comment

10) Red Hook Double Black Stout There actually may have been beers I enjoyed the flavor of more than this one in 2008. But the fact that they brought it back, and I still really enjoyed it put it on the bump for the beers that just made it and the ones that didn't.

9) Ballast Point Sculpin (cask conditioned on tap) What a great, crisp, well balanced IPA they had this year. They were a bit hit and miss with their recipe this year, as it was good, but not great, in October, and the just released batch is also very good... but the one in the summer was perfect, and the cask conditioned keg at La Bella's was off the charts beautiful. If they'd have been more consistent with their recipe through the year, this beer would be ranked higher.

8) Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2008 What can I say? This is almost always a perfect beer. The only reason it gets bumped down so low is because it's been around for so long. You don't get a better flavor than this beer.

7) Russian River: Pliny the Elder I discovered this beer just this year, and I've been missing out. Blind Pig is also a ridiculously delicious beer, but this one took the cake due to drinking it in just the right circumstances one fateful night in Arizona. This will be a staple in my rotation for years to come.

6) Hoptical Illusion: Gravity cask in Brooklyn Again, the timing was right. Before my first, and last, visit to Yankee Stadium. Already carrying a decent buzz. The gravity cask being pulled from the cooler, and cold (and the coolness of gravity casks, as it stands). But this was one of those moments where the beer was perfect. It was orgasmic. I'll never forget it. The fact that I only had one either helps, or hurts, it's placement in this list.

5) Lost Abbey: Gift of the Magi I'll say that I didn't like it as much this winter, but I think that's because I'd had it, and loved it last January. I built up such an excitement in my head for it this year, that it disappointed slightly. But the first bottle I had of this at the beginning of the year was amazing. It earned it's spot in the top 5 without a doubt back then, and even with the unrealized expectations recently, I don't think I'd change it's place on this list even now. It's a well balanced Belgian style beer that is more drinkable than many others that go the route this beer does.

4) AleSmith: YuleSmith Holiday Ale (Summer Release) This was the best pure IPA of the year. Again, it probably gets bonus points for being a new recipe I've never tried, but holy crap, this was an amazing beer. The brewer at AleSmith even told me that this was one of his top recipes that he's made, and that's saying something from a brewery that really doesn't do anything bad.

3) Delirium: Noel Words can't describe it. It's like Arrogant Bastard in the sense that I loved it before I tried it. With the AB, the name sold me. With Noel, a label with pink elephants pulling Santa's sleigh? ****in' brilliant. And the beer itself is amazing, with hints of being a Belgian sour, but not so much that I can only take a taste. Enough of a balance where it's drinkable, but different enough that it begged me to go outside of my comfort zone and enjoy a beer that I'm not used to. The best glass I had of it was at Thanksgiving dinner. Outstanding, and I can't wait for next year's release.

2) Stone / Jolly Pupmkin / Nogne-O Special Christmas Ale Talk about a shock to the taste buds. This one isn't at all shy to bring out the spices that many Christmas Ales attempt to bring. Only, in typical Stone style, they do it tenfold. The fact that they took ingredients from each brewery's home locale and collaborated to make it one amazing beer only adds to the story that is part of this beer's greatness. Add to that the fact that it tastes amazing, and you've got yourself a beer that I beg they replicate next year. The fact that it's a 9% ABV doesn't hurt it's ranking for me.

1) Sierra Nevada Harvest Series OK, I may be copping out taking three beers and making them my number one pick. I'd be ****ed off at me a little bit if I were you. And if you want my favorite of the three, I'd say Southern Hemisphere, hands down. But I'm not sure I'd say that Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale, by itself, is my favorite beer of the year. But nothing beat the vertical tasting of the Southern Hemisphere, 12th Annual, and the Chico Estate this year. I was lucky enough to do that trio about 4 times with different friends each time, and talking to them, each felt that it was the best beer moment of the year. And I can't disagree. The keg of Southern Hemisphere was the best keg I had this year, by a large margin. And the three bottles together, like Voltron, or some ****, was the #1 experience I had with a beer by a brewer of the year, so it's tops for me.

I'm interested in your folks opinions. I can't believe how many postings there were this year in this thread. Summer went through quickly, I think we all like the darker winter brews.

I do want to thank you all for talking about beer with me, and those of you that made it to the little shindig at the end of the year, an extra special thanks. I promise to do one of those the weekend before Christmas every year, and hope it gets bigger every season. But you all are always tops on my list of people to invite.

So merry Christmas, or happy holidays if you're not into that kind of thing. It's been a cool year of beer in here, I look forward to what the next one brings. I hope the next week and a half find you all happy, safe, and surrounded by those you love.

All right, I'm sure you could probably hand me any of these ten and get a similar response ("holy ****, that's delicious!"), but this is the best I could do. I'll halt at describing each beer as you could probably search through past posts to get my opinion: